Love is like Blood, I Spill It Freely for Some
by Redluna
Summary: The Carnahan family has finally settled into their version of domestic bliss. Yet there are forces determined to drag them into the past in more ways than one.
1. Chapter One

**This is a sequel to the story Forever May Not Be Long Enough. I suggest that you read that before reading this or else you will be greatly confused on what is happening throughout the story.**

**To those that have already read the first story: Hello again! I hope you enjoy this one just as much.**

* * *

_Thebes-3067 B.C._

Five thousand years ago, there was a fierce warrior known as the Scorpion King. He had reigned peacefully in his own realm for many years, but the death of his beloved queen, Cassandra, changed everything. Cassandra was a powerful sorceress who possessed the gift of foresight. And, as she lay dying, she had received a final vision, one that she passed on to her husband. She told the Scorpion King that he must not grieve, for he would find her equal in a land that lay outside of their own-the land of Egypt.

The Scorpion King believed that if he went to Egypt than he would find his love reborn. He led a great army on a campaign, determined to conquer this land and all the known world.

After a vicious campaign which lasted seven long years, the Scorpion King and his army reached Egypt, only to be defeated. The pharaoh banished all the survivors from his land, driving them deep into the sacred desert of Ahm Shere. One by one, they slowly perished under the scorching sun until only the great warrior himself was left alive.

Near death, the Scorpion King made a pact with the dark god Anubis that if Anubis would spare his life and let him conquer his enemies, he would give him his soul. Anubis accepted his offer and spared his life, creating what is now known as the Oasis of Ahm Shere.

Anubis gave the Scorpion King command of his army, and like an evil flood, they washed away all that lay before them.

When his task was done, Anubis forced the Scorpion King to serve him for all time. His army was returned to the sands from whence they came, where they wait, silently, to be awakened once again.

* * *

_Egypt-1933_

In the past, Rick would never have pictured himself creeping through ancient Egyptian sites for a living. But, after everything he had been through in the past ten years, something like this was pretty mundane, maybe even enjoyable.

Or at least it was until he turned around to find two eight year olds directly behind him.

"Alex?" he panted out. "Asa?" The boys, one his son, the other his nephew, flashed him matching grins from where they were sprawled out on the sand.

"What were you thinking," Asa asked, "a mummy had come back to life?" He scrambled up to his feet, holding out a hand to his cousin to help the other boy up.

Rick was unable to resist a chuckle at the irony of Imhotep's son saying something like that. "I'll tell you a story some time," he said. He left the, "And it involves your father," to himself. He didn't think it would be worth the firm rap on the head he would get for it later when Tessa fond out about it. It seemed like there was nothing Asa didn't share with his parents, after all. "What are you two doing down here, anyway? You were told to wait for us up in temple."

"But, Dad, I saw-" Alex said.

"No 'buts'," Rick cut in. "It's dangerous down here, Alex." He rolled his eyes at the way Asa's eyes lit up at that word. "And, no, Asa, dangerous still does not equal 'adventure'." "Says you," Asa tossed back.

"Dad, I saw your tattoo!" Alex said. He wasn't one to be ignored when he had something on his mind.

"You saw what?" Rick said.

Alex grabbed onto his father's wrist, undoing the band of leather that Rick always wore there. "On a wall by the entrance. There's a cartouche just like it." He traced his finger over the tattoo that had been revealed. "With the pyramid and the eye and the two kings and everything."

"Really?" Rick said.

"Yeah," Alex replied.

"Okay, well, I'll be up to take a look at that in a minute," Rick said. "In the meantime, I want you to wait for us up there." He pointed a firm finger at his nephew. He could practically already hear the gears turning in that boy's mind. "And that means you too Asa. Don't try to find a loop hole in this." He shook his head as the two boys groaned. "None of that. Pick up your stuff and I'll see you two up in the temple. Go."

"And-And what exactly are we suppose to do?" Alex demanded.

"I don't know," Rick said. "Surprise me. Build a better mousetrap." He waited until the boys were safely on their way back to the temple to turn back around. "While your mothers go and desecrate another tomb," he muttered.

* * *

Tessa was working on wiping the cobwebs away from the stone walls with her sister. She made sure that she was positioned in a place that would let her keep a close eye on her husband, who was sorting through some of the jars over in the corner. Imhotep had had a difficult time adapting to the life of an archeologist since each new artifact he found seemed to remind him of the life he had once lived. It had grown easier now, but Tessa still liked to keep an eye on him. All of them could still remember that practically nasty break down he had had on their first dig, after all.

She looked up from her work when Evy turned around next to her. She was about to ask why her sister had done so when she heard a faint hissing noise. The Evy she had once known would have let out a scream and backed up against the wall. But now her sister only frowned down at the snake. "Go away." And then she gave it a firm kick with her boot.

Rick ducked out of the way just in time to avoid having the snake land in his face. "Those are poisonous, you know," he said.

"Only if they bite you," Evy said. "What was all that noise about?"

"Oh, nothing," Rick said. He stuck his torch down in the sand before lifting up the toolkit to carry it over to where his wife was. "The boys wanted to show me something. I swear, those kids get more and more like their mothers every day."

Evy rubbed her hand across Rick's shoulder with a small grin. "What, you mean more attractive, sweet, and devilishly charming?"

Rick leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek. "No, he's driving me crazy," he replied.

Imhotep set the last jar down on the ground with a snort, rising to his feet. "Trust me, my friend, I know the feeling." A solid year of grueling sessions with the Carnahan sisters had ensured that his English was flawless. There was still just a slight accent to his words, however, one that no one could truly place.

And as for referring to Rick as his "friend", well he had managed to make amends with more than a few people over the eight years since his return.

Tessa just rolled her eyes. "Can we get back to work, please?" she said. She strode over to the toolkit, lifting around two tiny tools, which she held out proudly. "Hammer and chisel."

Evy beamed encouragingly at her, but the men exchanged incredulous glances that made Tessa sigh.

"_Fine_," she said. "We'll do it your way then, Rick." She hoisted up a crowbar from the ground, waving it at Rick, who took it with a small smile of exasperation.

All it took was one firm wham with the crowbar to send the stone slab of a wall crashing backwards into what first seemed like nothingness. But then Rick was swapping the crowbar for the torch, the light from it illuminating the room and revealing it to be some sort of crypt with bodies lining the shelves within.

And, when the torch was lowered, there were countless scorpions and spiders on the ground as well.

The others grabbed their own torches, heading into the crypt with Evy in the lead.

"Ever since I had that dream," she was saying, "this place is all I can think about."

"And ever since you had that dream," Rick shot back, "I haven't had a decent night of sleep." He stomped through the mess of creepy crawlers, crushing them under his boots, while his wife danced daintily around them as best she could.

Tessa hesitated for a moment on the threshold, trying to plan the best path through what covered the ground. She swatted Imhotep's hands away, however, when he offered to carry her across in his arms. She darted across the floor after that with Imhotep following behind her chuckling.

"I feel like I've been here before," Evy said. "I know I've been here before."

"Evy, nobody's been here before," Rick said. "Not in at least three thousand years. Except for these guys."

Evy reached up to grab one of the metal torch holders, coated in dust and cobwebs, pulling it down without a thought. There was a creaking sound as she did so, the part of the crypt behind her falling open like a door.

Evy looked almost scared as she glanced back at the others. "Then how do I seem to know exactly where I'm going?"

Tessa rubbed at her arms with a small frown. She couldn't help feeling like a small chill had just run through her. "The last time one of us had a vision like this, you know, a mummy wound up being restructured." Imhotep wrapped an arm around her and she leaned back against him, drawing comfort from his warmth.

"It all turned out alright in the end," he reminded her.

"I know that." Tessa lifted her eyes to where Evy and Rick where already making their way down the secret passage. "But who's to say it will turn out the same this time?"

* * *

Alex held his tongue between his teeth as he set the small triangle of cheese carefully down upon the top of the mouse trap. His cousin was responsible for most of it, really, since the other boy loved to design all sorts of things. But Alex had still helped bring it to life, which meant he was anxious to see just how it would work with the rats.

He nearly had the cheese on the platform when Asa knocked him hard in the ribs with his elbow, sending the piece flying away across the floor.

Alex whirled to face the other boy, words of outrage already on his lips, but Asa pressed a hand over his mouth. He shook his head sharply when Alex tried to push his hand off. "_Listen_," he hissed.

It wasn't until Alex actually tried that he was able to hear the voices echoing off the walls of the tomb, voices that didn't belong to anyone in their family.

All it took was one sharp nod shared between the boys to have them breaking apart, snatching up their bags, and racing up the ladder onto the wooden platform held high up from the ground. They flopped down on their stomachs just in time to witness three men come through the main entrance to the tomb.

"They look scoundrels," Alex whispered.

"More like Neanderthals," Asa muttered. He had heard rumors about people like this coming onto digs that were already in process to steal whatever those who were already there had unearthed. And he had no intention of letting that happen to anyone in his family.

His initial assumption grew even worse, however, when one of the men-the one all short and stubby-broke apart from the group, cocking his gun as he went. "I'll go sort out the precious archeologists."

* * *

Evy, who had broken apart from the rest of the group, took a turn that lead her into what appeared to be a small, private chamber. She only managed to take a few steps inside, however, when a sudden hiss of voices caused her to stumble back, eyes falling shut.

When she opened her eyes again she was still standing in the chamber, but it looked three thousand years ago. She took a few hesitant steps forward before a clang made her stop.

She stood there, rooted to the spot, as thick, copper fashioned door was pushed open. She could only see the back of the figure who was opening it, but she could tell from the long black hair and dress fashioned from light, shimmery fabric that it was a woman.

In the room behind the door were two guards on either side of a golden case atop a pedestal. Evy didn't get to see them for long, however, for the woman closed the door again. She watched the way that the woman twisted the strange handle on the door, hearing the lock creak into place.

She sucked in a breath as the woman stepped away from the door, preparing to walk back towards the entrance to the chamber. Was she going to see who this person was, after all?

But the moment the woman turned around, Rick walked right through her.

Evy let out a gasp as she realized that everything had returned to the way it was before. She began to whip the torch in her hands back and forth, trying to recreate what could have triggered the images to appear.

It was enough to make Rick glance back at her with a puzzled expression. "You know," he said, "if you move that fast enough, you can almost write your own name."

Evy didn't even seem to be paying attention to him. "I just had a vision," she said.

Tessa tripped over her feet once she heard what her sister said, only saved from toppling to the floor by Imhotep grabbing onto her arm. "You had a _what_?"

Evy swallowed hard, glancing at Tessa out of the corner of her eye. "It was-It was like my dream, but it was real. It was like I was actually here in ancient times."

"Well, if you actually were here," Rick said, "could you show me how to open this thing?"

Evy marched towards the door, which was no covered in a thick layer of dust and spider webs. She passed her torch over to Rick before she reached for the handle that she had seen in her vision. Once her hand tightened around it, she twisted it in the way she remembered the woman from the past doing-two turns to the right, one turn to the left, and then all that was left was to press it in.

The instant she finished the sequence the door swung open as though it hadn't been locked for millennia's.

"All right, now you're starting to scare me," Rick admitted.

"Now I'm starting to scare myself," Evy replied.

* * *

Tessa forgot her anxiety over what was happening to her sister, if only for a moment, after she brushed the layer of spider webs away from a circular gold plaque to reveal something that was all too familiar. "That's the emblem of the Scorpion King."

Rick was the only one who didn't straighten up in surprise at this. Evy, in a combined effort with Tessa, had been trying to introduce him to history, but the man never really saw any importance in it. The way he saw it, he could always ask the girls themselves if he needed to know anything.

Evy moved to her sister's side so that she could see the plaque properly. "He's suppose to be pure myth," she said. "No trace of him has ever been found before. No artifacts, no archival evidence."

"Maybe they didn't want anybody to find him," Rick said.

Evy didn't answer at fist since she had begun to wipe the dust away from the box bellow the plaque. "Let's open this," she said.

"Evy, I don't have a real good feeling about this," Rick said.

"It's only a chest," Evy said. "No harm ever came from opening a chest."

Rick was laughing before she had even finished her sentence. "Right, and no harm ever came from reading a book. You remember how that went?"

"Hey, it got me my husband," Tessa said.

"Yeah, and the ten plagues of Egypt," Rick threw back.

Imhotep lifted his eyes to the ceiling, a groan escaping from him. This was something that they had been through countless times. At least now they were able to approach it in a humorous manner. "I have told you that was not my fault. If you must blame someone then blame the one who placed the curse upon me."

"Oh, come on you lot," Evy said, "we can't stop now."

"Just remember," Rick said, "I was the voice of reason here."

Evy was grinning as she turned around to grab his crowbar. "For once," she teased.

She struggled with the crowbar for about a minute before Rick caught sight of a strange necklace that hung around the neck of a nearby skeleton and yanked it off.

"Hun?" he said. "Let's do it your way."

Evy dropped the crowbar the instant she saw the necklace, taking it from Rick so that she could fit it into the matching slot on the front of the chest. It only took a few twists for it to pop open, allowing Evy to push it open the rest of the way.

Resting inside of the box was a heavy golden bracelet with a large scorpion covering the entirety of the top half.

Imhotep recognized it instantly. And, unlike the two archeologists in the room, it was because he had seen it before. "The bracelet of Anubis," he breathed. Of all the things from his former life to appear again.

He didn't have long to dwell on it, however, for once Evy picked up the bracelet the whole room shook before sand began to fall from the ceiling.

Evy threw the bracelet back into the chest, slamming the lid back down.

"Well it's a bit late for that, isn't it?" Rick snapped.

Evy just hoisted the chest up, holding it out to her husband. "Put it in your rucksack," she said.

"I got a better idea," Rick said. "Let's leave it here."

"I think it's a bit late for _that_!" Evy said.

Rick shook his head. "What does it say then?" he asked.

Evy looked down at the inscription on the lid of the chest. "He who disturbs this bracelet," she read, "shall drink from the Nile."

"Oh, that doesn't sound too bad," Tessa piped up. Her hopes plummeted, however, the moment Imhotep reached out to seize her hand.

"It is far worse than you imagine," he said.

He was proven right as the sound of rushing water suddenly filled the corridors and there was nothing left to do but run.

* * *

For a spilt second, as the water closed over her head, Tessa wondered if this was really going to be the way she would die. But then the wall was suddenly giving way, sending them all tumbling to the ground as the water rushed out through the hole.

Even as she coughed the water up from her lungs, panting for breath, her hands sought out Imhotep not feeling fully safe until she could feel the rise and fall of his chest under her hands.

Then she heard an all too familiar voice and lifted her head to find her son staring down at her, actually looking nervous for once. His cousin was at his side with a similar expression that was far more common on his face.

"Mum, Dad," Asa said, "we can explain everything."

* * *

**If anyone is curious Asa is played by Asa Butterfield in this. And, yes, that is where his name comes from.**


	2. Chapter Two

Hamunaptra-City of the Dead

* * *

Night had descended hours ago, yet the workers still hadn't stopped working. The dig was spread out across a huge expanse of land with plenty of men to work on searching through each area. Those in charge wanted to leave nothing unexamined until they found what they were looking for.

A large, stocky man strode under the canopied structure that had been set up as a makeshift shelter. He placed a book fashioned completely out of some sort of black metal down on the table.

"The Book of the Dead gives life," Lock-Nah said.

Meela stepped into the canopied structure herself, carrying a similar book, except that it was all done up in gold. "And the Book of the Living takes life way." She blew the remaining dirt off the cover of the book before placing it down on the table.

Lock-Nah turned towards his mistress with a smirk. "I thought that was my job," he said.

Meela's own expression was one of smug satisfaction. "We're almost ready," she said.

She turned at the sound of a car horn beeping, a flare of excitement rising within her chest as she realized who it must be. She was already racing down the small hill, Lock-Nah at her heels, when she heard Baltus Hafez, the leader of their cult, speaking.

"Did you acquire it?"

Meela could already feel her former hopes plummeting, however, as the leader of the band of thieves avoided Baltus' gaze.

"The, uh, opportunity passed us by," Red said.

"We need that bracelet," Baltus said.

"And we need it before it opens," Lock-Nah growled.

"Enough!" Meela snapped. She marched over to Baltus, forcing a touch of softness into her tone. "My dear Hafez, I told you I should have handled it."

Baltus glanced back at her over his shoulder. "I did not want your…past history…to cloud the issue."

"Well don't you worry now," Red said. "We know where it is. We'll take care of it."

Baltus whirled around to face him. "No, we'll take care of it," he said. "I have a different chore for you now."

"Where is the bracelet?" Meela demanded.

"It's on its way to merry old London," Red replied.

Baltus exchanged a quick look with Meela before striding forward, pushing Red aside as he approached him. "Then London is where we must go."

None of them took any notice of the man who watched their every movement from behind the piece of cloth that concealed his face. Or the young woman at his side, who did the same, her face pale and drawn.

* * *

Tessa had hoped that her sister would eventually talk herself out with all this talk about the Bracelet of Anubis, but by the time they were lugging their luggage back into manor Evy was still going on about it.

"I think the bracelet," she was saying, "is some sort of guide to the lost oasis of Ahm Shere."

"Evy, I know what your thinking," Rick said, "and the answer is no. We just got home." He dumped all the luggage he was carrying on the floor to emphasize this point.

"That's the beauty of it," Evy said. She flashed her husband a grin. "We're already packed."

Tessa cast her own husband a sidelong glance as he took the luggage she was carrying from her, having already set down his own. "She does have a point," she said. She was a little bit surprised when her statement was met by a scowl and a quick shake of the head.

Rick didn't seem to have noticed the exchange, his eyes still fixed on Evy. "Why don't you just give me one good reason."

"It's just an oasis, darling." Evy's voice was soft, almost coy. "A beautiful, exciting, romantic…oasis."

Rick let out an intrigued little hum. "The kind with the white, sandy beach and the palm trees and the cool, clear, blue water and… We could have some of those big drinks with the little umbrellas."

"Sounds good," Evy said.

"Sounds too good." Rick seized Evy by the shoulder, looking intensely into her eyes. "What's the catch?"

Evy's voice was completely flat now, devoid of the charm it had held before. "Supposedly it's the resting place of Anubis' army."

"Huh, you see?" Rick said. "I knew there's a catch. There's always a catch. How did I know that? And let me guess. It was commanded by that Scorpion King guy?"

"Yes, but he only awakens only five thousand years," Evy said. She was moving out of the foyer now and up the stairs that lead to the library.

Imhotep had been planning to drag Tessa off to their bedroom for a talk of their own, but then he realized that she was following after her sister just like Rick was. It left him with little other choice but to head along as well, although he did it with a groan.

"And if someone doesn't kill him," Rick was saying, "he's gonna wipe out the world."

"How did you know that?" Imhotep demanded.

Rick just shrugged at him. "I didn't," he said. "But that's always the story."

"The last known expedition to actually reach Ahm Shere," Evy said, "was sent by Ramses the Fourth over three thousand years ago. He sent over a thousand men."

"And none of them was ever seen again," Rick said.

"How did you know?" Evy asked this time.

"I didn't," Rick repeated. "But that's always the story."

"Did I mention there was a pyramid of gold?" Evy asked.

This time Tessa answered along with Rick, both with similar tones of exasperation. "Twice."

"Alexander the Great sent troops in search of it," Evy said.

"Hooray for him," Rick said.

"So did Caesar."

"Yeah, look what happened to his career."

"Oh, and we mustn't forget Napoleon," Tessa piped up. She tapped the frame of the painting of the man in question which hung on the wall.

"But we're smarter than him," Rick said. "And taller too."

Evy climbed up one of the small ladders propped up against the bookcases, trailing her finger across the spines of the books there. "Exactly," she said. "that's why we're gonna find it."

"Because we're taller?" Rick said.

Evy fell backwards, letting Rick catch her before she even came close to falling. "That's why I love you."

Rick planted her back on the floor with a grin. "Nice try," he said.

The moment was interrupted by the voice of one of the children, calling up from the living room down bellow.

"Mum!" It was Asa. "What are we suppose to do with this chest?"

Alex, who was the one carrying said chest, grumbled. "This sucker weighs a goddang ton."

"Alex, watch your language!" Evy scolded.

"Rather weighty, this," Alex corrected. He flashed his cousin a grin as the boy snorted.

Imhotep drew their attention back to the task at hand by stepping forward, snatching a book up from a nearby table. "Evy, you had your first dream exactly six weeks ago, correct?"

"I think so, yes," Evy replied. "But what's that got to do with anything?"

Imhotep flipped through the book until he found what he wanted, holding it up for her and the others to see. "It coincides with Egyptian New Year." He tapped the image on the page. "It is the year of the Scorpion."

"Oh," Evy said. "That's right. What a coincidence."

Rick plucked the book from Imhotep's hands, snapping it shut. "Maybe," he said. "But I agree with him. We should be cautious."

Imhotep felt glad to have Rick's support in this. It gave him the hope that what he said next might be received a little less harshly than he had originally imagined. "And, besides, if you were to launch this expedition then I could not allow you to bring my wife, or even my son if you dared to."

Evy's head snapped towards him, eyes wide, and her sister followed suit not long after. "What do you mean by that?" she demanded.

Imhotep took a deep breath. He had learned just how vicious the female species could be, especially with the liberties given to them in this day and age. "I have been given the chance to have the life that I use to only dream about. I would be a fool-no, more than that-to throw it all away when I know just what can await you in Ahm Shere."

Rick held up a hand before either of the women could protest. "No, no, he's right." And this was such a strange thing to hear that he had the attention of the women almost instantly. "If anything happened to you, Evy, I would never forgive myself. You and Alex are the only thing that matter to me."

Evy let out a sigh, but there was a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. "Well, the Bembridge scholars have been begging me to run the British Museum."

* * *

Asa headed over to the chest the instant he realized that the adults weren't watching him or his cousin. He had heard some sort of noise coming from it-he _knew_ he had-and he was determined to see what could have caused it. Neither his parents nor his aunt and uncle had told the boys what was inside the chest, after all, and there had to be some sort of reason for it.

And Asa did love a good mystery.

He had to admit there was a part of him that was a little disappointed when he opened the chest and saw that it was only a bracelet. He turned to Alex to say as much when he noticed how fascinated his cousin seemed to be by it. He nudged the other boy with his shoulder. "Hey, why don't you try it on?" he said.

"What?" Alex's eyes darted up to the landing where the adults were still talking away amongst themselves. "I couldn't do that!"

Asa rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on," he said. "It's just a bracelet! No harm ever came from putting a bracelet on." He cast his cousin a smirk. "Unless you're afraid of it."

"I'm not afraid!" Alex shot back. His eyes darted back down to the bracelet before he lifted it carefully from the chest. He only had to hover it over his wrist, however, before it clamped down on his wrist. It began to glow a heartbeat later, jerking Alex's arm up in the air.

Both boys stood there in shock as various Egyptian sites-many of them ones they had seen in history books-were projected out like some sort of film.

It ended as quickly as it had started, leaving the boys to try to collect their wits before Alex tried to remove the bracelet.

"Aw, cripes, how do you get this thing off?" he said.

"How should I know?" Asa asked. He grabbed onto the bracelet as well, trying to yank it off along with Alex, only to find that it remained unmovable. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh?" Alex said. "Is that all you can say?" He jabbed a finger into Asa's chest. "This is all _your _fault, you know?"

"My fault?" Asa gaped. "You're the one that put it on!"

"Only because you dared me to!" Alex said.

The two of them froze in place as Rick's voice echoed down to them. "Hey, boys, behave yourselves for five minutes, alright?"

"Okay, Uncle Rick," Asa called back. He yanked the sleeve of Alex's jacket down over the bracelet before darting over and sticking one of the small statues inside the chest.

Fortunately he was able to manage all of this before his parents came back downstairs with his Aunt Evy in tow.

His mother reached out to ruffle his hair, grinning when he wrinkled his nose and rushed to smooth it all back into place. "Happy to be home?" she asked.

"Of course," Asa replied.

"Couldn't be happier," Alex tossed in.

Asa swallowed hard as his father glanced between the two of them with raised eyebrows. He let his breath go in a rush after the man said nothing, however.

Now they just needed to figure out how to get that damn bracelet off.

* * *

Tessa was on her knees before Asa, rummaging through the boy's pockets while Evy did the same with Alex.

Imhotep, meanwhile, just stood nearby with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked sternly down at the boys. "If you two have lost that key," he said, "you will receive a far worse punishment than grounding."

"We haven't lost it," Alex said. "We just can't find it. There's a difference."

"Well you'd better start finding it then," Evy said.

"I will, Mum," Alex said. "There's nothing to worry about."

Or at least there wasn't until a deep rumble of a voice broke through their conversation.

"Good evening."

There was a man standing there in the doorway, dressed in a brilliant red that contrasted sharply with the darkness of his skin. He was certainly no one that anyone could imagine allowing into their house unless they were looking for hired muscle. And even then they wouldn't trust someone who leered at them like that.

Evy and Tessa rose as one, moving to stand in front of their sons while Imhotep stepped in front of them in turn.

"Who are you?" Imhotep demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for the chest, of course," the man said. His eyes narrowed as Alex instantly picked up the chest, clutching it close. "Give it to me now."

Evy marched over to the wall where a line of swords-thought decorative to everyone else who saw them-were arranged. She pulled one free before passing another to Imhotep. Tessa claimed another, shorter one for herself, determined not to be left out of the fight.

"Get out of my house," Evy said.

"Whoa, Mum," Alex said. "Maybe not the best idea."

"Alex, get back there with Asa," Evy ordered. Her focus snapped forward as more men appeared to join the first.

"Definitely not the best idea," Asa said.

"I think it's time to yell for Dad now," Alex said.

"Now I will kill you and take it anyway," the man said.

"I think not," another voice cut in.

The strange men drew their weapons as a man in Arabic clothing appeared with a similar, yet younger woman at his side.

"Candace, Ardeth?" Tessa said. "What are you doing here?"

"Perhaps explanations are best kept for later," Ardeth said.

"Ardeth Bay," the man said.

"Lock-Nah," Ardeth replied.

"Wait, you two _know_ each other?" Tessa said.

"He is not the only one I know." Lock-Nah's eyes took on a strange, uncomfortable glint as they shifted over to Candace. "I have the pleasure of knowing the lovely Candace as well."

Candace scowled back at him. "My name is Candace Bay," she snapped.

"If that is what you insist on calling yourself," Lock-Nah said. "It won't make much difference when I slit your husband's throat."

Candace's eyes narrowed as she slid into a fighting stance. "I'd like to see you try."

* * *

Alex struggled to hold onto the chest, refusing to let it be pulled away by the man who had a grip on the other side. It helped that Asa had fixed his hands over his own and was pulling just as hard. "Let go!" he demanded.

The man responded by wiping the chest around with enough force to send both boys sprawling to the ground, placing the boys out of the fight, at least for awhile.

Candace, meanwhile, was fighting back to back with Tessa. "What's in the chest?" she called over her shoulder.

"The bracelet of Anubis!" Tessa called back.

"Oh, you have got be kidding me!" Candace groaned.

"I'm afraid not," Tessa said.

"Can't you ever stay out of trouble?" Candace asked.

"Of course not!" Tessa said. She sent one of the men stumbling back with a slash on his arm, leaving him open to be punched in the face by Candace. "It's the only way I get to see you."

Imhotep broke away from his own struggle just long enough to shout out a demand of his own. "They must not get the bracelet! Get it and get out of here!"

Alex and Asa chose to get their revenge at this moment, shoving a bookcase down on the man who had stolen the chest from them. It sent him tumbling to the ground, the chest slipping free from his grasp.

Tessa darted over, letting her sword fall so that he could snatch up the chest. She didn't hear the cry from her son until it was too late. By the time she turned around she was already being backhanded across the face with enough face to render her unconscious.

The man hoisted her over his shoulder while another took the chest, fleeing from the house after Lock-Nah left Ardeth on the floor with a few well placed blows.

It wasn't enough to stop Imhotep from chasing them out into the driveway, however. A car was already peeling out by the time he arrived, yet the curtains in the back window parted for a spilt second to reveal Tessa's face.

Her cry came out muffled from behind the glass, but it was no less clear to his ears. "Imhotep!" A rag was being thrust over her mouth a second later, however, as someone pulled her back into her seat.

"Tessa!" He couldn't believe that after working so hard to protect what he had managed to achieve it had all been snatched from him in the blink of an eye.

He was hardly aware of Rick and Jonathan stumbling up to meet him, looking a little worse for wear, yet he did turn when he heard a cry of, "Dad!"

Asa was rushing up to him with his aunt, cousin, and the Medjai in tow. He gripped onto his father's shirt, staring up at him wide eyed. "We'll get Mum back, won't we?" he asked.

Imhotep forced down his own fears for the sake of his son, holding him tightly. "Yes, of course we shall." There was no way he could not make sure of such a thing.

His attention was drawn back to the others as Rick suddenly grabbed Ardeth by the collar, slamming him up against a statue.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He dropped the man just as quickly as he had grabbed him. "No, scratch that. I don't care. Who the hell are those guys?"

Imhotep cut in, his voice smooth and cold. "And where are they taking my wife?"

"My friends, I am not sure," Ardeth said, "but wherever this man is, Tessa will surely be." He held up a photo of a man who only made Imhotep more frustrated since he had no idea who he was.

Alex reached up to snatch the photo from Ardeth's hands. "Hey, I know him. He's the curator. He works at the British Museum."

"Are you sure?" Ardeth asked.

"Believe him," Rick said. "Asa and him spend more time there than at home."

Rick clapped his hands together as the group headed off to where the garage was. "So, you're here, the bad guys are here, Tessa's been kidnapped. Does this seem familiar to anyone else?"

"At least there's no Hamunaptra this time," Jonathan joked.

"No, now there's something possibly even worse," Candace grumbled.

Imhotep arched a brow at the female Medjai. "What could be worse than the City of the Dead?" he asked.

Candace shot him an unreadable look before Ardeth began to speak again.

"It's the woman who's with them, she knows things that no living person could possibly know. She knew exactly where the books would be buried. We were hoping she would lead us to the bracelet. She obviously did. And now they have it."

Alex stopped besides the car, shifting a little on his feet. "I wouldn't get too nervous just yet." He pulled back the sleeve of his jacket as he held out his arm to reveal where the Bracelet of Anubis was still locked on.

"When I stuck it on," Alex said, "Asa and I saw the pyramids at Giza. Then, whoosh! Straight across the desert to Karnak."

"By putting this on," Ardeth said, "you have started a chain reaction that could bring about the next apocalypse."

Alex exchanged a glance with Asa as the boys gasped as one.

Rick pointed at Ardeth. "You, lighten up." His finger moved to Alex next. "You, big trouble."

"Asa told me to put it on!" Alex said. He winced as Asa shoved him and would have shoved back if his mother hadn't pulled him back, swatting both boys upside the head.

"You're both in big trouble then," she said. "Now-" She jerked her head at Jonathan. "-you, get in the car."


	3. Chapter Three

**I decided to redo this chapter a bit after a suggestion from Mrs. Barnes, so there's some extra things in here now for you all to enjoy :)**

* * *

It was a little difficult to squeeze eight people into a single car, but this was a group that had made odder things work before. Besides, it was something that could be easily fixed by having some people sit on the laps of others.

Asa wasted no time as it was scurrying onto his father's lap. One parent had already been taken from him and he didn't want to be separated from the only one he had left with him.

That left Alex to take his own place on his mother's lap. There was only one awkward moment where Jonathan suggested that Candace sit on his lap and she cuffed him upside the head before setting herself firmly on her husband's lap.

Ardeth had to glance around her to talk to Rick as the man raced down the London roads. "I am sorry if I alarmed your son, but you must understand, now that the bracelet is on his wrist, we have only seven days before the Scorpion King awakens."

"We?" Rick said. "What we?"

Ardeth didn't falter with his words. "If he is not killed, he will raise the army of Anubis."

"I take it that's not a good thing," Jonathan piped up from the back.

"Oh, he'll wipe out the world," Rick said.

"Ah, the old 'wipe out the world' ploy," Jonathan grumbled.

"Whomever can kill the Scorpion King," Ardeth said, "can send his army back to the Underworld or use to destroy mankind and rule the Earth."

Imhotep slammed his fist against the inside of the car, ignoring Rick's protests about how he had to treat the car nicely. As far as he was concerned, the car was an inanimate object which meant it had no feelings that needed protecting. Quite unlike himself in this case.

"If my former powers were at my disposal than I would be able to rid us of this threat by defeating the Scorpion King."

Ardeth turned his head to look back at the former mummy. "If you had your powers than you might be planning on using his armies for something far different then protecting us."

* * *

Rick waited until he had parked the car outside of the British Museum to turn towards the passengers in the backseat or, more specifically, the two boys there. "Alright, Alex, Asa, I've got a big job for you. Stay here and protect the car."

Jonathan sat up, instantly alert. "I can do that!" he said.

The boys, on the other hand, shared a look between each other before wrinkling their noses at Rick. "Protect the car?"

"Come on, Dad," Alex said, "just because were kids doesn't mean we're stupid." He let out a little yelp when Rick reached out to ruffle his hair.

"If you see anyone come out screaming," Jonathan said, "it's just me."

Evy glanced between her son and nephew. "Perhaps you should stay here and watch him," she said.

"Yes, now you're talking," Jonathan said. He didn't even realize that it wasn't the boys that his sister was talking about.

"But we can help!" Asa tipped his head back to look up at his father. "Or at least let me go with you."

Surely he, out of anyone else, would have to understand. He had been raised to understand that family was sacred, something to be defended at all costs, and this was his _mother_ who had been harmed. He couldn't just stand by doing nothing!

Imhotep soothed a hand down his son's back, his voice solemn as he spoke to the boy. He had always talked to Asa as though they were on the same level and he wasn't about to change that now. "Asa, one of the most valuable people in my life has been dragged into a dangerous situation. You cannot ask me to willing place my other precious one in the same position." He couldn't resist a small smile as the boy continued to scowl. "Do you not trust me to return your mother to you?"

That made Asa relax a little, returning his father's smile with one of his own. "I trust you."

If there was one thing he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was that there wasn't any force on Earth that could keep his parents apart.

* * *

Candace couldn't deny the rush of pleasure she felt when Rick opened the back of the car to reveal a case filled with guns. Weapons had always been equal to safety in the way that she had grown up, and it was always best to head into these kind of things prepared.

At least they wouldn't have to face down any mummies this time. It meant that her bullets would actually be as lethal as intended when they hit their mark.

"You want the shotgun?" Rick asked.

"No, I prefer the Thompson," Ardeth replied.

Rick nodded, grabbing what he needed before stepping back to allow the others to do the same. It was only as he moved to cock one of his guns that Candace caught sight of an all too familiar tattoo.

She knew Ardeth must have seen it as well based on what he said next. "If I were to say to you, I'm a stranger traveling from the east, seeking that which is lost—"

Rick had the answer before Ardeth had even finished speaking. "Then I would reply that I am a stranger traveling from the west. It is I whom you seek. But how—"

"Then it is true." Ardeth grabbed onto Rick's wrist, hoisting it up. "You have the sacred mark."

"What that?" Rick yanked his wrist back. "No, that got slapped on me when I was in an orphanage in Cairo."

But Candace wasn't about to let him brush something like this off. Not when there was proof of links to the past in every element of their lives. "That mark means you're a protector of man, a warrior for God—a Medjai." _It means you are one of us, _her mind cried._ A long lost brother!_

Rick shook his head. "Sorry," he said. "You've got the wrong guy."

* * *

Tessa found herself jolting awake as she was dropped, rather unceremoniously, down onto something hard. It took her a moment to realize that she was lying on some sort of wood plank placed atop of a pedestal. It wasn't until she tried to get off of it that she realized that her hands and ankles had been bound together with rope. She pushed herself up with her elbows to find herself surrounded by men all dressed like the ones that had invaded her home.

"Oh, bloody hell," she mumbled.

"You should not use such language."

Tessa whipped her head around, doing her best to ignore the pain that swelled in the back of it at the action. Her brow furrowed when she saw who had spoken, however. "Mr. Hafez?"

Baltus only smirked at her. It was an odd expression to see on the face of the usually benign curator. She was use to him trying to whatever means to gain her approval, a clear ploy to get her to use her connections to help him. (He hadn't been the first to do so). Now, however, he was looking at her as though she were a particularly pathetic child.

"The woman you are about to meet demands respect in her presence," he said. "She is, after all, of higher rank than you. As she always has been."

Tessa was about to demand to know who he was talking about when she heard the distant sound of a door opening. Her head whipped towards the sound just in time to see a woman striding down the hall towards them.

She was only able to stare at her for a few moments, however, before her appearance suddenly shifted into one of someone far more ancient—someone Tessa had never imagined she would ever have to see again.

"Anck-su-Namun."

The woman looked entirely too pleased to be addressed by that name. "Amisi," she said.

Tessa narrowed her eyes, forcing her chin up with a confidence that she didn't completely feel. "I go by Tessa now," she said.

The woman's laughter sounded almost like a scoff. "And I by Meela," she said. "Yet I am still Anck-su-Namun reincarnated."

The shiver that ran through Tessa at such a thought was tempered by the realization that followed it. "Only in body." She let her eyes trace across that body from head to toe, taking in each eerily familiar curve and mark. "Your soul still remains in the Underworld."

It meant that Meela—as she called herself—was much like she herself had been before Imhotep had recalled her soul to her. She was not completely Anck-su-Namun, not yet, which made Tessa feel somehow less terrified of her.

She knew she had scored a hit from the way Meela narrowed her eyes at her. "Not for long." Meela took a step forward, brushing her gloved hand across Tessa's cheek in a mockery of a caress. "But first I must deal with the gift that my dear Hafez gave to me."

Tessa understood what she meant all too easily. "How am I a gift?"

"He knew it would please me," Meela said, "to watch you die."

Tessa gritted her teeth together. "Haven't you done that once already?" she snapped.

"Yes, but last time I wasn't given my reward," Meela said. The small smile that curved its way onto her lips was a cold one. "It will be different this time."

Tessa had no problems at all with finding the confidence to lift her head up this time around. "If Imhotep couldn't love you thousands of years ago," she said, "than he won't be able to now."

Meela glared at her, all traces of her former smile gone. "We shall see." Then with a snap of her fingers men lifted up the wooden plank that Tessa was on, carrying her off no matter how hard she struggled.

It wasn't until she saw just what they were carrying her towards that she froze to stare into the fire. "Oh, my God."

"The Underworld awaits you again, sister!" Meela called out.

"You wait!" Tessa shot back. "I'll put you back in your grave!"

She wasn't even aware that Baltus was behind her until he began to talk. "Our thinking was, not if we put you in your grave first."

"Burn her!" Meela cried.

"You bitc-" It was all Tessa was able to get out before her words turned into a scream as she was hoisted up towards the fire.

She squeezed her eyes shut tight as she felt the heat of it drawing close to her skin. But her eyes went flying open only a few moments later when someone leapt across the flames, landing on the plank with enough force to send it crashing to the ground.

She wasn't able to truly believe that she had truly been saved by who it seemed to be until she was gathered up into his arms. "Imhotep!" Her relief escaped from her in a burst of laughter. "You have the most exquisite timing, my love."

The skin on the back of her neck prickled at the realization that she was being watched. It seemed like a silly feeling to have since basically everyone in the room had to be staring at them now, but there was something different to this. It was why she wasn't exactly surprised to find that it was coming from Meela.

She was standing there, wide eyes fixed upon the former mummy. "Imhotep?" she breathed. The men around her shifted anxiously, seemingly unsure of whether or not to attack the newcomer.

Tessa could feel Imhotep's arms tightening around her in a sign of protection. "Anck-su-Namun." His voice was so cold that even Tessa shivered. "You should have remained in the Underworld where you belong."

Meela looked as though she had been slapped, but there was no time for her to do anything other than duck out of the way in order to avoid the rain of gunfire that came down from above barely a second later. It didn't take her long to find a gun of her own, though, shooting back at the people up above.

Rick was there behind the crates that Imhotep dragged Tessa behind, cutting her bonds loose with only a few quick flicks of his knife. She was grateful to be free at last and even more so for the pistol he pressed into her hands a moment later.

"So you trust me with one now," she joked.

"Only the small ones," Rick tossed back.

They were able to fight their way upstairs to regroup with the others, Evy drawing her sister into a quick hug. There was no time for anything else, however, since Meela had begun to say a speech in ancient Egyptian that was far too familiar to everyone there.

"Collect your bones! Gather your limbs! Shake the earth from your flesh! Your Master is here!" She ripped the lib from the jar to allow the dust to swarm out to form four mummies.

"Oh, no," Rick said. "Not these guys again."

They were all already running by the time that Meela screamed out, "Destroy them!"

* * *

A problem arrived, however, once they arrived at where the car was parked outside.

"Where the hell's Jonathan?" Rick said.

His question was answered not a moment later as Jonathan pulled up in a double-decker bus with the boys inside.

Tessa could have cared less what they arrived in, however. She only had eyes for the one who was waiting inside of the bus for her. "Asa!"

"Mum!" Asa was already racing towards her, lunging into her arms once she was inside.

Imhotep smiled as he wrapped an arm around them both. "I told you I would get her back," he said.

Asa could only nod as he relaxed into his mother's embrace. His parents were reunited as they should be and his little world had finally been set to rights for now.

The conversation going on outside the bus, however, was nowhere near as sweet.

"What's wrong with my car?" Rick demanded.

"I was forced to find an alternative means of transportation," Jonathan said.

"A double-decker bus?" Rick said.

"It was their idea!" Jonathan said.

The boys rounded on him with identical looks of indignity. "Was not!"

"Was too!" Jonathan protested.

"Look, none of us care!" Candace cut in. "All that matters is whether or not you can drive this thing."

"Uh, yes," Jonathan said.

"Then go!" Rick ordered as he jumped onto the bus.

The sound of the mummies crashing through the wall behind them was more than enough incentive for Jonathan to press down on the gas pedal as hard as he could.

* * *

The fight left the double-decker bus a wreck, but the people inside of it all in one piece, minus a few cuts and bruises.

Rick glanced down at the two Medjai, who were slumped over in a seat. "You all right?" he asked.

Ardeth looked up at him with just a hint of a smile on his lips. "This was…our first bus ride."

Tessa snorted from where she was, examining the scratch marks on Candace's arm. She was just able to register that the wounds weren't very deep before she was being hoisted up by her own arm.

Imhotep's eyes darted over her body, his hands following suit, searching out any form of injury. "You are unharmed?" he said.

"Yes," Tessa assured him. The corners of her mouth twitched, her eyes warm. "Thanks to you." She reached to wrap her hand around the back of his neck. "I know you'll never give up on me."

Asa screwed up his face, ducking away from his parents as they began to kiss, only to find his aunt and uncle doing the same.

"Oh, jeez, get a room," Alex groaned. He grabbed his cousin by the hand, leading them away from all the adults.

Candace burst out with a fond laugh before Ardeth leaned over to kiss her as well. It was all to easy to just be happy that their loved ones were still alive and with them.

The peace was ripped asunder, however, at the sound of muffled screams.

Everyone turned towards the sound almost instantaneously to see the boys being dragged from the bus by Lock-Nah.

Tessa tore herself free from Imhotep to rush forward. "No! Asa!" She shouted out a sharp curse as her ankle caught on a part of the wreckage, causing her to stumble and fall behind. "_Asa_!"

Rick brushed past her as he raced out of the bus, calling after his son. Yet even he wasn't fast enough since by the time he got there the other part of the bridge had already been lifted up and the car carrying the boys was racing away on the other side.


	4. Chapter Four

Evey had crumpled into Rick's arms almost immediately, but Tessa had shrugged away from Imhotep when he tried to reach out to her. It had pained Imhotep at first; unable to understand why she would want to distance herself from him. For a spilt second he feared that she might actually blame _him_ for what had happened. But then she began to pace back and forth, brow furrowed, and he realized that she only wanted to fit together the pieces.

It was something that became even more apparent once she began to talk. "So what do we know?" She ran her fingers through her hair, frustration mingling with anger on her face. "Anck… Meela, could have taken Asa as an act of revenge, but Alex? Why take him as well?"

Candace's head snapped towards Tessa. "What did you almost say?" she asked.

Tessa stopped pacing so that she could turn to face Candace. She knew that this information would be as shocking to her friend as it had been to her. "Meela is Anck-su-Namun reincarnated."

Candace stiffened as though an electric current had shot through her, her eyes wide. She spat out something in Arabic that was easily recognizable for the curse that it was.

Ardeth wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, pulling her back against him. "Are you certain?" He had to fight back the urge to shudder at the very thought, the memory of what he had been forced to do in the past—mainly because of that very woman—like pieces of cut glass.

"Yes, I'm certain," Tessa said.

Candace took a deep breath, regaining her composure as her face became firm. "She will not be allowed to repeat her past actions," she said.

"I'll blow her away before she can try," Rick said. "But, come on, why did they take Alex. Is it because of that bracelet thing?"

Evey rose her head from Rick's chest at that, looking at her husband in confusion. "Do you mean the bracelet of Anubis?"

"Yes," Ardeth said. "And it is good news. For they cannot hurt him so long as he is wearing it."

Tessa was grateful that her nephew would be left unharmed, but, at the same time, she couldn't help thinking of what this meant for her son. "But what is protecting Asa?"

She didn't try to slip away from Imhotep's hold this time. "You underestimate our nephew," he said. "Those boys will protect one another till the end. And besides, Meela will be too afraid of evoking my anger to try anything." She had seen the consequences of striking against Amisi in her past life and Asa was of his own blood. She would not be so bold this time around.

He raised his head to look at the O'Connells. "What did Alex see when he put on the bracelet?" he asked.

Rick regained his former strength much more easily when he was given a mission to set his mind around. "He said he saw the pyramids at Giza, the temple at Karnak."

"And when they reach Karnak," Ardeth cut in, "the bracelet will show him the next step of the journey."

"Well, if we don't get to Karnak before them," Evey said, "we won't have any idea where to look for them next."

Rick was the only one who didn't seem anxious over this idea. Instead he almost appeared to be…amused. "Seems to me like we need a magic carpet."

* * *

_Cairo, Egypt_

The train was privately owned, racing through Egypt at the greatest speed possible, yet it still seemed to be going far too slow to Meela. She was grateful to let her attentions be diverted to Hafez, especially since the words he spoke were of great importance to her.

"When Lord Imhotep first encounter Amisi she was able to cloud his mind with lust, trapping him under her spell. Even in this life she was able to have her followers send his immortal soul to the Underworld to force him to remain with her. As powerful as you may become, you remain vulnerable so long as the whore holds him under her sway. Only with the army of Anubis will you be able to destroy her once more and return Lord Imhotep to his true power. He needs your help more than he realizes."

He snapped his fingers as he sat down, cueing a servant to bring forth the Book of the Dead. He waved his hand across the book, uttering a revenant blessing in Arabic. "Keep this with you always."

Meela knelt to receive the book from, nodding as he slid it into her outstretched hands.

The moment was broken, however, when Lock-Nah entered the carriage, a struggling child under each arm.

"Hey! That's the Book of the Dead!"

It came as no surprise that it was Imhotep's son who recognized the blessed object for what it was. It was something that, by rights, should have been the boy's heritage.

Meela's lips twitched into a smile as she rose to her feet. "What a bright little child. A trait inherited from your father, surely." She moved forward once the boys were set down, pushing Asa's hair back from his face so that he could look at him properly. "And you look so much like him." There were only faint hint hints of Amisi in the curve of his eyes and face, and the fullness of his little mouth. Meela's own mouth spread into a wolfish grin. "Your mother must be missing you terribly." She shifted her eyes over to Alex as well now. "If you wish to see her again, you'd better behave."

"Lady, I don't behave for my parents," Alex said. "What makes you think I'm going to do it for you?"

Lock-Nah yanked both boys back by the back of their shirts, turning Asa's laughter breathless. "Silence!"

Meela reached out, letting Alex's chin rest in the palm of her hand. "Because your parents wouldn't slip poisonous snakes into your bed…" She leaned in to peck him on the cheek. "…while you were sleeping."

That was enough to give the boy reason to pause before his next retort, although the way that Asa shifted in front of his cousin, as if to protect him, wasn't lost on Meela. It was adorable, really.

"Now you must listen carefully," she said, "for it is you who are the chosen one, you who will take me to Ahm Shere."

"What if I don't?" Such a comment prompted a sidelong look from Asa. "What if I get a little…lost?"

Meela laughed despite herself. "You have inherited all of your father's bravado, I see. But I know something you don't." She stroked her finger across the bit of the bracelet that peeked out from under Alex's sleeve. "This bracelet is a gift and a curse."

"Yeah, yeah," Alex said. "I already heard this part. From the minute I put the bracelet on, seven days do I have before he Scorpion King wakes up."

"Did you also hear that if you do not enter the pyramid," Meela said, "before the sun strikes it on that very morning that the bracelet will suck the life out of you?"

Alex jerked back at that, exchanging a worried look with Asa before looking back at Meela. "That part I missed." His eyes widened. "Hey, wait a minute, that means I've only got five days left!"

Meela arched a brow at him, unable to not allow the amusement she found in this moment to color her tone. "Then I believe it will be best if we do not get lost. Don't you?"

Asa straightened up as much as he could under Lock-Nah's hold, his eyes stony. "Our parents are going to kick your ass," he said.

Meela hummed, feigning nonchalance while her own eyes flashed with flint. "I do not think so." She nodded to Lock-Nah. "Take the O'Connell boy away. I wish to keep Lord Imhotep's heir with me."

Lock-Nah obeyed her words without question, although Meela had to set her hands firmly around Asa's shoulders to stop him from trying to follow.

Alex was in a similar state, squirming in Lock-Nah's hold as he fought to free himself. "Hey, let me go! You can't hurt Asa! You can't!" The boy kept shouting even as Lock-Nah carried him through the other carriages, the sound growing more faint as he went.

There were sounds of other voices approaching, however, and when Meela turned she realized that it was the scummy American trio they had been forced to employ. She led Asa over to one of the plush seats, lifting him up onto it. "Stay here." She tapped him on the nose. "I must deal with some business."

"Did you acquire what we asked?" Hafez asked.

"Oh, we acquired it, all right," Red said. "You know what? We had to kill two of those guards at the mausoleum…to acquire it."

Meela shot a glance at Asa, yet he didn't seem to react to this information at all. He seemed far more interested in whatever was underneath the frayed cloth. His eyebrows did lift a little, however, when Jacques announced, "This chest is cursed."

The man ripped off the cloth to reveal a chest with an ancient book crafted from papyrus resting atop it. He ran his fingers along the hieroglyphics that lined the top of the chest. "It says that this is one who once fought to guard the rights of another undead and that retribution will come swiftly if it is opened."

Meela managed to keep her face straight, although her body stiffened. She knew that it was referring to the warning Anck-su-Namun had given as to what Imhotep planned to do with the body of Amisi. Such a thing should have warned the priest off daring to do it at all, not drive him straight to his doom. Amisi had much to plead forgiveness for.

"Nonsense!" Hafez said. "We've all heard this kind of story before."

"Yeah, but you see," Red said, "I heard about these yanks who found a chest like this nine years ago and all died. Horrible deaths, they were. So with that in mind—"

"We want ten," Spivey said.

"Quiet!" Jacques leaned over the chest, speaking in Arabic. "This chest must never be opened."

"The agreement was for five," Hafez said.

"Yeah, well, we want ten," Red said, "or we'll take it elsewhere."

"If you—"

Meela reached out to lay her hand on Hafez's shoulder, calming him. "Ten will be just fine. If you will only allow me to inspect the items first."

"They're all there," Red said. "Not banged up or anything."

"Oh, I'm sure they're not." Meela dipped down, lifting up the book. She turned towards Asa, a small smile on her lips. "Do you know what this is?"

"No." Asa looked at the book for a few moments before his eyes flickered back up to Meela. "Should I?"

"Perhaps not." Meela's face softened for the first time as she looked down at the book. "But it belonged to your father." It gave her a thrill to be able to open the book, to see Imhotep's careful writing on each page. This was something that had been as precious to the priest as his guarded Book of the Dead—his very own book of spells.

Meela swelled with pleasure when a particular spell caught her eye. She turned back towards the three grave robbers with a lingering smirk before speaking the words in Arabic.

At first there was nothing but Red raising his eyebrows. "Are we supposed to be impressed, lady?" He whirled around when a scream came from Spivey, however, seeing that his friend had been struck by an asp that seemed to have come from nowhere. Neither he, nor his friend, had time to so much as reach for their guns before being struck by the other snakes in the nest.

All Meela had to do was snap her fingers for the snakes to disappear. Then she nodded at the lingering guards. "Throw these bodies off the train," she said.

The men nodded as they moved forward, dragging the bodies out of the carriage.

Meela moved back to where Asa was, setting both the book of spells and the Book of the Dead on the table before sitting down besides the boy. She looped an arm around Asa, pulling him in close before he could skitter away. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No." It was hard to tell whether it was a lie or not, but it was obvious from the stubborn jut of Asa's chin that he wasn't going to change the answer one way or another.

"Good." Amisi would have to be eliminated for the greater good, but her son could be allowed to survive. The combined tutorage of Meela and Imhotep would wipe away any of the taint his mother could have left on him. "Now it is time to introduce you to your birthright." She opened the Book of Dead, smiling as Asa leaned forward to look at the pages.

She huffed a laugh when the boy began to scan the pages in a sort of fervor, however, leaning down to press a kiss to his head. "There isn't any spell in there that can kill me, little one."

But, with a bit of work, there might be one in the other book that could give his mother the torture that she deserved.

* * *

When had suggested a magic carpet, Tessa certainly hadn't been expecting to go soaring through the skies on a ship buoyed by a giant balloon. There was no denying that it did its work well, however, and the view it offered of the night sky was beautiful. Still, Tessa hadn't left the men to their chatter to watch the stars at the prow of the boat.

She didn't even jump when arms wrapped around her from behind, knowing that there was only one man who would lay hands on her in such a way. "I want him back, Imhotep. I want him in my arms and away from…_her_." She didn't want to think what Meela would be doing with her boy right now.

"I know." Imhotep soothed his hands across her arms. "But he is our son, the best and the better of us."

Tessa turned to press her face into Imhotep's neck. "I love him so much. I just can't…" She swallowed hard, unable to finish her words, not when she knew that it was already just as hard for Imhotep.

Imhotep's arms tightened around her. "We both do, and Asa knows that, as sure as he knows that we are coming for him and his cousin." His lips skimmed across Tessa's cheek. "I shall return him to our arms, Tessa, I swear it."

Tessa turned her head to capture Imhotep's lips with her own. "I know you will." She was married to a man who had defied life and death to be by her side once more. She wasn't about to doubt in what he would do to protect their son.

* * *

Asa had been returned to Lock-Nah's care for now while Meela met privately with Hafez. Alex had been enough of a handful to deal with on his own, but when the boys were combined it was like dealing with some sort of contained chaos.

Alex's favorite game at the moment was to repeat, "Are we there yet?" not caring how many times Lock-Nah answered the question with a "No".

Finally the man whipped out his knife, slamming it down on the table between the boy's fingers. Instead of being afraid, however, Alex only grinned up at the guard. "Whoa! That was amazing! Perfect aim."

"What are you talking about?" Lock-Nah yanked the knife free from the table. "I missed."

Alex's eyes widened in shock, but if Lock-Nah thought that meant he would have peace then he was about to be proven wrong. He only had to drum his fingers once on the table, after all, for Asa to pick up the same rhythm with his own, continuing it for each new tap of fingers. It got to the point where Lock-Nah whipped out his knife again, not caring whether the boy was Lord Imhotep's heir or not, only for Alex to speak up right at that very moment.

"I have to go to the bathroom."

It was like the boys had their own act all planned out and, if you talked to many of their teachers, it was likely they did.

Lock-Nah had to drag both boys back to the bathroom since he was required to keep an eye on both. It was Alex that he shoved into the small, dingy stall, however.

Alex scrunched up his nose, uncaring of the way Lock-Nah shoved at him. Instead he just lifted the papers attached to the wall by a ring. "Hey, reading material," he said.

"Now!" Lock-Nah ordered.

"I can't go when someone's watching," Alex retorted. Lock-Nah turned his back, but the boy wasn't about to accept any half measures. "I don't trust you. You'll look."

Lock-Nah groaned, dragging Asa out with him before slamming the door. And that bit was a shame, really, since, even if Alex did find a way to escape, he wouldn't be able to share it. Still, his prospects didn't look too promising when the bars on the window proved to be as sturdy as they look.

But then a flush of the toilet revealed the opening underneath. All it took after that was shifting the toilet aside and yanking on the cord that would stop the train.

The sudden lurch of the train gave Asa the perfect opportunity to slip out of Lock-Nah's grasp. He knew there was only one reason the train would have stopped, after all, and, besides, neither boy could ever abandon the other.

* * *

The boys had been running blind when they started out, their only thought had been to get away from the bullets being fired at them. They seemed to be deep enough into the ruins of the temple to be safe, though, at least for the minute it would take them to catch their breath.

They barely even had time to do that, however, before Alex's wrist was jerking up to reveal a new location spread out before them. And then Meela had to walk right through that vision, lifting them both up into the air with a simple wave of her hand.

Asa was really starting to hate magic.


End file.
